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“What are you doing?” he asks, looking at all the paperwork in front of me.
“Preparing my speech for the State of the Union.” I scrunch my nose up at him.
He ignores my joke. “We need to hire another server,” Brady suggests. “One isn’t enough on a Saturday. Even you have to agree.”
“I do,” I agree with him. “We need at least another two.” I take a bite of my burger as my eyes go to the papers that were in front of me not long ago. Invoices that are all current with the way the bar has taken off. It’s like we are back and even better than ever. “I had to soak my feet in an ice bath when I got home.”
“Well, I’ll put the notice up on the door like I did the last time,” he says, “and we also need another bartender.” I look at him. “You can’t be doing the office and then the bar every night.”
“You sound like Charlie,” I point out to him. “I’m fine. I’m more than fine now that nothing is threatening me and my family,” I admit to him. The Cartwrights have slunk into whatever hole they are in now. Now that Harmony left Winston, they are trying to do damage control to show everyone how amazing they still are. Apparently, according to the gossip going around, she left him six months ago. Why anyone is surprised is beyond me since he makes it no secret that he cheats on her. The number of times I’ve seen him out with different women is crazy, and if I were her, I would light all of his shit on fire.
“You are, but we are doing pretty well now,” he declares, and I chuckle. “Very well, considering all of our debts are paid off, and we have regular runs with orders that are backed up. Plus, the tours are still going stronger than ever. We sell more cases than we’ve ever sold.”
“Why don’t we wait a couple of months and see?” I try to meet him in the middle.
“You said that last month,” he points out, “and we’ve already passed the quota for this month.” He then points at the whiteboard I hung in the office with a goal that we need for the month. “The private tasting events are booked solid for a whole year, Autumn.” His voice starts to go up. “What else is new?” I try to change the subject.
“Not much,” he says, “I think the house next to mine got rented out.”
“The one that is run down?” I ask.
He nods. “Saw someone over there this morning trying to calm down the overgrown weeds.”
“Every single time I come and visit you, I have a feeling it’s going to fall like a stack of Jengas.”
“Hire the fucking bartender.” He puts his hands on his hips. “Or you know what, I’ll do it myself.”
“Fine, fine.” I hold up my hands. “I’ll do it. Jeez.” I inhale. “I was just trying to spend time with you.”
“You want to spend time with me?” he retorts. “Invite me over for a meal. Now I have to go out for a bit.” He doesn’t wait for me to answer him. Instead, he just walks out of the office when my phone rings, and I see it’s my father.
“Hello.” I put the phone to my ear.
“Did your brother talk to you?” he mumbles, and I laugh. It’s been a rough six months; he’s getting weaker as the days go by. Even he had to admit that he needed part-time care, so we have a nurse who comes in and helps during the day for a couple of hours. I usually bring him breakfast and then Brady heads out to take him lunch and the nurse is there to help him warm up his dinner.
“Hello to you too, Father.” I ignore his question.
“Well, did he?” He also ignores me. “You either hire someone, or I’ll come and do it myself. Walker and all.”
I chuckle. “Simmer down there, Pops,” I joke with him. “I am literally putting the notices in the paper as we speak.”
“Don’t toy with me,” he barks, and I just laugh.
“Dad, I swear I’m going to put it in the paper,” I assure him softly. “Now, if you let me go, I can do it.”
“You better,” he snaps. “I love you.” His tone changes. “More than you will ever know.”
“I love you more,” I say, hanging up the phone and feeling the little pang I usually feel when I hang up the phone with him. Wondering if it will be the last time, knowing that even though we have prepared for it to happen sooner rather than later, I’m still not ready. I don’t think anyone is ever ready.
I place the ads in the paper, finish doing all the checks for the month, and I’m getting up to head to the front when the back door opens and Brady comes back in. “Have you been gone all this time?” I ask, looking to see it’s almost five o’clock.
“Yup,” he confirms, and it looks like he just stepped out of the shower. “Why are you still here?” he asks. “Isn’t tonight your night off?”
“I was just leaving.” I pick up my purse and sling it over my shoulder. “See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” he says, walking straight to the front of the bar. I get into my car and make my way over to my house, enjoying the sounds of the birds chirping all along the way. Spring is in the air for sure.
I call Charlie the minute I park my car, and it goes straight to voicemail. I’m walking into the house as I’m about to leave a message when I stop dead in my tracks. My whole house is empty. There is literally nothing in my house. The table is gone, and the couch is gone. I walk into the house and head to the bedroom and see that it’s also been stripped. I turn to head to my closet, every single piece of clothing I own is gone. Not one fucking hanger swings in place. I turn to walk back out of my room when I hear the front door open and then shut.
